The Scar-Faced Boy
by Kiba Katsutoshi
Summary: It's a new year for Tsukune and the others. I Do Not Own Rosario Vampire. Trying to think of a better title (and summary) at the moment, so please bear with me! :) If you don't like OCs, then this story isn't for you. Sorry.
1. A New Year

"Please, Tsukune! Just a sip?" Moka pleaded, hands clasped together, green eyes glistening.

"W-well…" Tsukune stammered, scratching behind his head and smiling nervously.

Of course, without waiting to receive an answer first, Moka flung herself onto him, and sunk her fangs into his neck, earning a yell from the dark-haired boy. He wondered why she even bothered asking!

Almost as soon as soon as it started, it was over. Moka giggled and flipped a stray bit of her long, pink hair back into place. Tsukune mentally noted, for probably the fifteen hundredth time since he met her, that even though she was a vampire, she was overwhelmingly cute. Until that Rosario came off, that is. After that, her pink hair became silver and her green eyes became red, and she was just as scary as she was beautiful. Or prideful.

"Thanks, Tsukune! As always, your blood was delicious!" she chirped.

Tsukune smiled back, feeling a little woozy from blood loss, but he was, for the most part, used to it. As long as Moka was happy, he guessed he was happy, too. As the lone human at this academy for monsters, she was his first friend, and the main reason he had stayed here for this long. He had long since acknowledged that he was in love with her, but he didn't quite have the nerve to admit it just yet.

"Moka! You almost drained my Tsukune dry _again_!" Kurumu exclaimed, as she came out of nowhere and slapped Moka on the top of her head. The blue-haired succubus was extremely overprotective of the boy she deemed to be her 'mate of fate'.

"It's okay now, Tsukune-kun", she cooed, engulfing the human between her breasts, smothering him. "I'm here to make everything better!"

Tsukune flailed his arms trying to pry from her grasp. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered how she didn't know by now that these hugs cut off air to his brain?

Right as Tsukune was about to slip into unconsciousness, an icy kunai struck Kurumu dead in her forehead, forcing her to release a gasping Tsukune.

"Lay off, bazooka girl. Can't you see you're suffocating my Tsukune?" Mizore said in her cool, leveled voice, emerging from behind a tree.

"Dream on, snowflake!" Kurumu snapped at the ice maiden, who simply gave the succubus a blank stare. Mizore gently pushed a strand of her purple hair out of her face.

"Tsukune is going to inevitably end up with me. So why even bother?" she calmly stated.

Kurumu was about retort when two wash bins fell from the sky, hitting both the succubus and the ice maiden on top of their heads. There was a childish laugh, and out skipped the source of the falling kitchenware, a small, black-haired girl in a witch costume.

"Yukari!" Mizore and Kurumu both exclaimed, before the little witch flicked her wand, causing two more wash bins to slam on top of their heads.

"No one gets Tsukune, except for Moka and me, desu!" Yukari said. She then flew at Moka and Tsukune, latching on to both the human and the vampire with no intent on letting go. They laughed, and eventually got the little girl to detach herself from them, much to Yukari's displeasure.

This marked the start of this unlikely group of friends' last year at this school. For them, it was a pretty average morning that, in their minds, seemed fairly un-noteworthy. Yet none of them, not even the snow fairy with such a keen stalker's perception, had any inkling that they were being observed.

* * *

Watching this heart-warming scene from a safe distance was a boy. He was at an average height for his age, which appeared to be a little over seventeen, and stood just at six feet tall. He was fairly skinny, yet well built, with blond hair and blue eyes. Over his right eye, coming from above his brow to just below the middle of his cheek, he had a long, thin scar, which was one of his most distinguished features.

The scar-faced boy continued to watch as he contemplated what was going on. He absentmindedly rubbed the top part of his scar, the point above the brow, with his index and middle fingers, as he had an unconscious habit of doing when he was deep in thought.

He was new to this school, transferring here from America. He knew enough Japanese to get by around here, having taken online courses at his parents' insistence.

His face darkened at the thought of his parents.

He grimaced and turned his head the other way, as if he was physically turning away from a memory that had become a reality once more. His parents were part of the reason he was at this school, the other being that he was… what he was. He didn't feel like dwelling on it at the moment, and he was starting to get hungry anyways. He always got a little bit hungry when he was upset. He actually got hungry a lot, again, because of what he was.

_I've got a little bit of time before homeroom… maybe I can snag a little something to take off the edge._

Honestly, he didn't really care if grabbing a bite to eat would make him five or ten minutes late. If he was to function at a reasonable level and not get… cranky… then he would have to eat something _before _he faced a classroom full of people that he would have to resist the temptation to devour.

So, off he went, into the thick, wooded part of the school's grounds, hoping to hunt down something sizable that would last him until a bit later in the day.

* * *

The students in the classroom babbled endlessly, talking about what they did over the break, what they thought was going to be served for lunch today, and all the other things that high school students talked about. Tsukune and his group were all sitting together talking, as they mentally noted that all of them being in the same class _again_ had the headmaster's name all over it. He, along with Ruby, his witch assistant Tsukune met in the human world, and Tsukune's own little group, were the only ones that knew that he was human.

_Mostly human_, Tsukune noted, glancing to the chain and holy lock around his right wrist. A while back, Tsukune had almost died in a fight against Kuyo, the maniacal leader of the School Safety Committee, who had charged him of being human. To save him, Moka had injected him with some of her vampire blood, which gave him a few brief moments of vampiric power to beat Kuyo and prove to the rest of the student body that he was, in fact, not human. In actuality, he was still human, but no one else needed to know that. After several more fights and several more injections of vampire blood, Tsukune became a ghoul, and was almost a lost cause if it hadn't have been for the headmaster, who placed the holy lock on him and sealed his dark powers. However, if he took it off, he would be consumed by his own ghoulish lust for blood. That is why he had to train whenever he could, so he would be able to master using his newfound powers, and not be ruled by them.

Tsukune's thoughts were interrupted when their teacher burst through the door.

"Welcome back to Youkai, students! I hope you're all refreshed and ready for a new year!"

This was the usual entrance for their long time teacher, Ms. Nekonome, who was an eccentric example of a neko-musume. Despite her going on about the main rule of the academy, which was to always keep your human form, she broke that rule like pretty much every other student at this school. She always had her ears and tail popping out, and if a student made a remark that she decided she didn't like, she scratched said student's face. Usually many times. Consecutively.

Ms. Nekonome was going through the rules again when there was a knock on the door. With an inquisitive look on her face and a slight mewl she answered it. In walked a blond-haired boy with a disinterested look on his face. As soon as he set foot in the classroom, everything went dead silent. He seemed to wince slightly at the effect he had on the atmosphere before he continued.

"Sorry I'm late, ma'am," he started, and smiled slightly, "I was grabbing a little something to eat, and well…" he chuckled nervously,"… let's just say it didn't exactly agree with me."

Ms. Nekonome blinked and stood there for a second. There was a sort of presence to the boy. It seemed… well, cold, like the wind in winter.

Finally, she forced a smile and replied, "No problem at all! Please, sit wherever you like!"

He smiled a little bit and nodded, then promptly took an empty seat next to the window. Some of the other students shot a few disapproving looks. He sighed, and gazed straight out the window, while the teacher continued with her instructions.

"As you all should know perfectly well by now…" Ms. Nekonome sang,"…Youkai Academy is a school for monsters!"

Tsukune remembered his first day here and how bad that had shocked him.

The blond-boy's eyes widened ever so slightly as he turned his gaze to the teacher, without actually moving. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked straight back out the window, seeming a bit more furtive.

"And, as you all should also know by now, the main goal of this academy is to learn how to coexist peacefully with humans!" Ms. Nekonome purred slightly. "That being said, you also will not find anyone here who is human. If a human was found, he would be killed on the spot!"

Tsukune cringed. Even after hearing it so many times, it still got to him.

A few moments later, the bell rang to dismiss class to their first period.

* * *

Tsukune and the others were walking to their next class, chatting excitedly.

"Can you believe we have Ms. Nekonome again?" Kurumu inquired, "I think the Headmaster is behind this one, too!"

"As well as the fact that we're in most of each other's classes." Mizore noted, revealing herself from her spot behind the staircase, which made the others jump a bit.

"Well, at least we're together, right?" Tsukune smiled and asked everyone, although he was secretly glancing at Moka when he said that. She noticed, and blushed a little before timidly meeting his gaze.

"Yeah. That's all that matters." She stated shyly.

They all noticed someone in particular walking past them.

There he was again, the blond boy who was late to homeroom, looking lost in his own thoughts, except when he glanced at them and saw their reaction. He narrowed his eyes and looked away, slightly increasing his pace. He seemed a bit hurt.

"Hey, wasn't that the guy who was late to homeroom?" Moka stated, unsure why she even bothered to point this out. Maybe just to make conversation.

"Yeah, I think it was." Tsukune replied.

"He seems a bit weird." Kurumu noted, thinking that he was out of hearing distance.

The others glanced at her questioningly. "What?" She asked defensively.

"How is he 'weird', Kurumu?" Moka asked.

"Well," she started saying matter-of-factly, "he _did_ have sort of an icy presence to him."

"And?" Mizore piped up. "So do I. So do a lot of monsters."

"Hey!" Kurumu cried with a hint of hope in her voice. "Maybe he's one of your kind, Mizore! Wouldn't that be nice? You could finally stop chasing after Tsukune!"

"No." she stated, shaking her head slightly. "I can tell he isn't one of my kind. I would know."

Kurumu giggled playfully and sang "I think you two would make a cute-looking couple, Mizore!"

Mizore's blushed a little bit. "I don't even know him!" she stated.

"Hey, guys, don't you think we should worry about getting to class?" Tsukune inquired.

Everyone nodded and tagged along with Tsukune, laughing and poking fun the whole way.

* * *

The scar-faced boy was, in fact, not out of hearing range when he caught what the blue-haired girl said. He furrowed his brow, and continued walking to his next class.

He shook his head. What did she know about him? He wasn't going to let the opinion of some random blue-haired girl get to him. He had other things on his mind.

He had to admit, though, he was glad that this was a school for monsters, like him. He didn't even know a school like this existed until he got here. It made life a lot easier, too. He wouldn't be tempted to eat them as much as he would be if they were humans. Even so, he still felt a little out of place here. He didn't really feel at home in a lot of places.

His stomach whined at him incessantly. He hadn't been able to catch a whole lot earlier, just a few mouse-spider things. They hadn't even tasted all that great. They were small, too, so of course he was hungry now.

Sighing in defeat, he dropped his things off at his next class and walked out.

He had spotted some odd looking deer earlier. They were too far away and too in the open to launch a successful strike on at the time. When he returned to the general area, he found them in a more advantageous position. For him, at least.

He noticed that they were even odder than he thought. They had blackish-brown fur and they had pale, glazed over eyes, like cataracts. They didn't smell too appetizing, either. In fact, if it weren't for them walking around, he would have thought that they were already dead.

He brushed the thought aside, and attempted to focus, but the roaring maelstrom in his stomach hindered his thought process significantly. Accompanying the churning in his stomach were hungry thoughts beating against the inside if his head. Sweet voices carried on the wind amplified in his ears, and he couldn't drown them out. He gritted his teeth and clenched the sides of his head. For a moment, his irises flashed a primal shade of yellow, signifying instinct taking over. He couldn't take it anymore.

He lunged.

The deer snapped to attention right at this moment, and scattered in different directions. They were faster than they looked.

With no prey to descend upon, the scar-faced boy hit the ground instead, mouth first. He had missed.

He glared up in the direction of the fleeing deer, already long gone and out of harm's way. He spat. Defeat had an earthy taste.

He had a feeling that he was going to hate it here.

* * *

Later, Tsukune and the others were happily having lunch. As usual, Moka packed her own well-balanced meal (as her inner self would not allow for junk food). Mizore had made her specialty, chilled curry. Kurumu brought cookies, and Yukari and Tsukune really had no other option but to eat the school's food.

"Kurumu, did you really bring nothing else besides cookies?" Moka said with a small laugh.

"Nope. I'm trying to stay slim, so I'm eating light today," She said.

Yukari giggled. "Good luck with that. If you eat nothing but cookies, your stomach is going to be the same size as your boobs!" She jabbed, causing Kurumu to yell and chase her around the table while most of the others laughed.

All except for Tsukune, who poked at his food with little interest.

Moka picked up on this. "What's wrong, Tsukune? I know the school's mystery meat isn't that good, but…"

He sighed. "No, Moka-san… it's not that. I just…well…" he sighed again. "It's about that guy from earlier." He didn't know why this was bugging him so much. He was just some guy, right?

Moka frowned, and the others stopped what they were doing and paid attention to the conversation.

"The one from homeroom? And in the hallway?" she inquired.

"Yeah… I can't help but think that he might be a little lonely, and a little hurt about what Kurumu said." He continued to stare down at his lunch tray. Why was he focused on this, of all things?

Kurumu waved her hand dismissively while sporting a sort of guilty smile. "Nah, he couldn't possibly have heard me! Besides, it just kind of… slipped out."

"Hey isn't that him over there?" Yukari pointed out.

They all looked up to see.

Sure enough, a few tables away, the blond boy was there, eating his lunch, looking like he was in his own world, like the last few times they saw him.

He looked up and caught their gaze. He looked a little uncomfortable. Then he saw Kurumu. She waved at him nervously. He seemed to sigh before resuming his meal.

"I think he knows, Kurumu." Yukari said, and the succubus frowned slightly.

"I think we ought to make it up to him." Tsukune said. _Why?_ He thought to himself. People say things all the time. Maybe it was just because Tsukune knew what it was like to be lonely. Before he met Moka and the others, that is.

"I guess so." Moka said. She didn't really know what the big deal was. Although, she had to admit, he did seem a bit lonely sitting all by himself.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Kurumu huffed. "Let's go talk to him now!"

They all looked up smiling, only to have their smiles replaced with looks of confusion.

The blond boy was gone.

* * *

[[[There! I updated chapter one! In doing so, I changed the scenes with the scar-faced boy a lot, because there was some concern that he seemed too much like a Mary Sue. So, I dumbed it down a bit, and made him seem not so overpowered. Also, I have to admit, I like it better when he doesn't seem so completely emo, but still troubled. It also gave me a few ideas for future chapters. Anyways, I'm done for now! Peace!]]]


	2. Reminiscence

[[[First of all, I'd like to thank Catyz101 for the words of encouragement I needed to keep going! You really helped! On another note, this chapter has a lot less to do with my OC (he doesn't even show up). So now, on with the show!]]]

* * *

"Where'd he go?" Tsukune wondered, before Kurumu brought him back to reality.

"Forget it, Tsukune! He obviously didn't feel like talking." she said. "Besides, we're in the News Club! That means we gotta get to work on finding things for our 'Welcome Back' edition!" She pumped her fist in the air excitedly, and emphasized it with her trademark 'Yahoo-hoo!'.

"Hey, that's right! That's right!" Yukari giggled.

Mizore popped up out of a bush.

"Incoming." She stated in her monotone voice.

"ONEE-SAMAAAAA!" They heard a shriek of joy as, in a flash, a hammer swung down, barely missing Moka. Everyone jumped and prepared for a counterattack.

The hammer was picked up by a red-headed girl with pigtails who then joyfully started swinging it in arcs at Moka, giggling and laughing like a child. Everyone else sighed and dropped their guard, except for Moka, who was being chased by the red-headed girl.

"Kokoa!" Moka cried. "Can't you attack me once I'm done eating lunch?!"

"Aw, come on, Sis!" Kokoa whined, still swinging her hammer. "Attacking here is where you'd least expect it! And if I don't attack you when you least expect it, it can hardly be called a surprise attack!"

The others sweat-dropped and simultaneously thought, _You can't call it a surprise attack if you announce your presence beforehand, either._

Moka was still dodging the barrage of blows coming from Kokoa, who was now going on about her sister releasing her power and putting up a real fight.

"How'd you even find us, Kokoa?! We only got our schedules this morning!" At this question, the swinging hammer stopped.

"Well," she said, a little bit calmer, "I was walking around looking for you when I bumped into this blond guy with a scar on his face." The others paled a little.

"I asked him if he had seen a pink-haired girl anywhere. He didn't really say much, he just pointed in this direction and continued on his way." She huffed indignantly. "He barely made eye contact either. Rude!"

She appeared to have forgotten about fighting, as she was oblivious to the fact that her 'hammer' shifted back into the form of a bat and perched on her shoulder.

Tsukune sighed in defeat. That guy was probably already at his next class. Besides, Kurumu was right. He needed to think of topics for the new edition of the Youkai Times. Sometimes he really wished Gin was here. Well, he wished Gin was around to help organize a little bit, instead of flirting with anything that had a skirt. Tsukune had asked Gin last year if all werewolves were perverts or if it was just him, to which the only reply he received was a hearty laugh while he scratched near his headband and gave a dismissive wave.

But Gin had moved on, hadn't he? He was a senior here last year. It kind of sucked, because Tsukune had started to develop a kind of brotherly feeling towards him.

"Tsukune?"

Tsukune looked up, startled. He had gotten lost in thought again.

Moka looked worried. "Is something wrong?"

Tsukune laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, like he usually did.

"No," he laughed, "Nothing at all. I was just wondering how we were going to manage the club without Gin this year."

Everyone's mood slightly dropped. They hadn't considered that. Who was going to help supervise the club now? Ms. Nekonome was out. She always got distracted. Besides, when it came down to journalism and photography, and not to mention fighting, Gin was a bad-ass, and they all had to admit it. No one could replace his skills, even if he did use them primarily to take snapshots of girls. Kurumu didn't want to say it, but she actually missed him quite a bit. He may have been a major perv, but he had helped her through a lot. He was like the big brother of the entire group. When someone needed help or advice, they usually came to Gin.

"Gin? You mean that perverted dog who groped half of you all the time?" Kokoa's remark brought them all back to their senses. "You guys actually _miss_ that affront to women!?"

"O-of course not!" Kurumu stammered defensively, blushing.

"Whatever! You simpletons make me sick!" she spat, stomping off. Everyone sighed at the same time.

"Your sister's a handful, Moka." Kurumu stated, before munching on another cookie.

Moka just nodded. She actually knew how much of a nightmare it was to have Kokoa chasing her.

The group was silent for the rest of the lunch period.

* * *

Tsukune couldn't believe it. Not only was this the first class he had that he didn't share with at least one of his friends, he had his crazy math teacher from last year, Ms. Ririko. He hoped to any higher power that would listen that he didn't fail her class. He _really_ didn't want to have to go to tutoring with her again.

He also really wished he had someone he knew in this class with him. He preferred if it were Moka, because she was really good at math, but he would settle with any of his friends, really.

Tsukune was alert enough to answer the role, and catch a couple of absent students' names; "Rikishi", "Huang", and "Katsutoshi". He didn't know the third name, but the other two were all too familiar.

Chopper Rikishi was a troll who was on the wrestling team. He was also the second monster Tsukune fought with an injection of Moka's blood. He really didn't want to be in the same class as Rikishi, for a couple of reasons. One, Rikishi had a tendency to throw attacks at people for no apparent reason. Two, he was sure that Rikishi still had a grudge from the last time they fought.

He knew the name Huang better though. That was the last name of two exchange students from Hong Kong that he had met last year, Fang Fang and his older sister Ling Ling. Fang Fang always went on about Tsukune joining his mafia family. No matter how many different ways he flat out said 'no', Fang Fang wouldn't give up.

He guessed he kind of owed it to Fang Fang for him being as strong as he was now. If it weren't for Fang Fang, Tsukune wouldn't have met one of the Three Dark Lords, Tohofuhai, and wouldn't have gone under the body alteration spell that would make him into a modified-human sorcerer so he could be able take on Moka's eldest sister Akuha, and save Moka from an organization called Fairy Tale.

Fairy Tale's main goal was to shatter the fragile peace between humans and monsters… and completely wipe the humans out. They also had very strong members, many of which Tsukune had met before, Including Hokuto Kaneshiro, Kiria Yoshi, and Kuyou. The leader also happened to be Gyokuro Shuzen, the wife of Moka's father, Issa Shuzen. They had captured Moka and tried to use her to wake up Alucard, the all-powerful first ancestor of Moka's family, who had once tried to destroy all humans. In the end, they failed, Tsukune got Moka back, and everything turned out alright in the end.

Yet, after all of this, he was still too nervous to confess his love for Moka. And this was his last year to try, wasn't it? At the end of this year, he was going to have to make quite a few choices, none of them easy.

He sighed and brushed his worries away so he could focus on understanding the notes he was taking.

* * *

Moka was deep in thought while she was taking notes in her English class. For some reason she couldn't stop thinking of Tsukune. Last year, he not only saved her from a powerful organization, headed by her father's wife, but he had also gone under such severe training to do it.

To top everything off, he fought toe-to-toe with her eldest sister, and one of the strongest members of the Shuzen family, Akuha. He even learned techniques so he could survive against her most ruthless attack, the Dimension Sword.

All to save her.

Moka tried her best to hide her blush. If that didn't show that someone loved her, then what did? Yet he didn't say it to her. How desperately she wished he'd just say something. That would make things so much easier. After all, she loved _him_. Right?

Of course, Ura (her inner self) would have none of it, although she got defensive whenever the subject came up. It was obvious that she loved him, too. But she was a vampire, an elite S-class monster, and she had far too much pride to just give in and admit it.

_'__**He's nothing more than a blood bank to me!'**_ she'd state. **_'A foolish, idiotic, womanizing, loyal, selfless, caring…'_** she'd trail off there.

Ura loved him for many things, not just for his blood (although that was a definite plus). She loved his dark hair, his honey-brown eyes, the way he talked, the way he laughed, the way he looked… she loved everything about the human. But what she really admired most were his loyalty and courage. He stuck with her through situations where many others would have run for the opposite direction.

She hated to admit it, but he _had_ saved her skin on many occasions. During the fight with the monstrels, the fight that she almost lost Tsukune in, he had taken several mortal blows in her place, no matter how many times she tried to convince him that she didn't need him.

**_'You idiot! I told you that I don't need help! Least of all from _****you****_!'_** she had snapped at him, but what she really meant was _'You're too precious for me to lose'_.

He had only given her a smile, the smile that always melted her resolve, as he told her that he wasn't going to leave her, no matter how many times she told him to go back to the human world. He said he just couldn't do it, because that meant he'd never see her again. She almost pointed out that if he died, then he _really_ wouldn't see her again, but time was of the essence. She had given him that final, fateful injection.

He had already lost the internal struggle at that point, and that last injection was all Tsukune's inner ghoul needed to assert complete control. She would have ended his misery, if the headmaster had not stepped in and sealed his powers. She was severely thankful that he did.

It had hurt so badly when she had to almost kill him. It tore her apart when thought she had to leave him.

She had realized then that his fate and her fate were eternally and inseparably intertwined. She was filled with feelings she had never felt and that she didn't understand. Feelings she thought she'd never feel, feelings she didn't even know _existed_.

**'Hey, Omote!'** Ura scolded her outer self, trying regain her composure. **'Wake up and focus on the lesson! I don't want to get any grades lower than an A!'**

* * *

Finally, after what seemed like an age, the last bell rang and ended the school day. Everyone was exhausted. The first day of their senior year, and they already had several homework assignments! This may be a breeze for some, namely Moka and Yukari, but everyone else wasn't feeling so hot about it, especially Kurumu, who sucked at a lot of subjects, but mainly in math.

And they still had to go to the News Club meeting.

Ms. Nekonome noted how everyone seemed kind of down, and said not to worry, because she had a surprise for them. They didn't seem excited, but they wondered what it could be. They hoped it wasn't more sashimi. Ms. Nekonome tended to eat it all before they got there, anyways.

Everyone sighed as they walked toward the club meeting room. They opened the door, only to be surprised by a familiar, gravelly voice:

"Y'all kept me waiting, ya know! What, did yer sense of punctuality ditch ya over the break?"

Everyone just stared, mouths hanging open. Kurumu dropped her books.

"Well, ya just gonna stand there gapin'?"

"YOU!" Kokoa exclaimed angrily, sharply pointing an accusing finger towards the figure at the front of the room, who just gave a hearty laugh.

There, reclining in the chair with his feet propped up on the desk and resting his hands behind his head, was Gin.

* * *

[[[[Finally, another chapter down! I hope that those of you who asked 'what about Tsukune's fight with Fairy Tale and going through the body alteration spell' and 'What about Kokoa, Fang Fang, Ling Ling, and Gin?' have your questions sufficiently answered. Because it took forever to work those in…This one had a lot less to do with 'the scar-faced boy'. I hope that was to your liking, because it's most likely going to be a chapter or more before we see him again. We have other things to discuss, like why is Gin here? I've also got to think of a new title. Anyways, I'm out for now guys! Peace!]]]


	3. Acquaintance

Gin laughed as he lounged in the chair at the front of the room.

"Sure is good to see everyone. Y'all had to go and grow over the break, didn't ya?" He winked and flashed a grin.

Kurumu was the first to speak up. "Gin…why are _you_ here?"

"Well, that _is_ a good question, isn't it?" he murmured, before turning back. "I guess you durn kids just grew on me. Kinda like moss." He chuckled.

"No, I mean… you were a senior here last year, right? So what are you doing back?" Kurumu inquired.

"Well, it just so happens," Gin started, "That y'all needed a club supervisor. Ain't that right?"

"So, you mean… _you're_ going to be our supervisor? What's in it for you?"

Gin sighed. "And here I thought you'd appreciate having me back. Gosh, yer pretty ungrateful, ya know that?" He shook his head and dismissed his complaint.

"I'm doing this not just fer you guys, but for more job experience. Bein' with the school press for just three years won't satisfy many papers in the human world."

"Well, it's great to have you back, Gin!" Tsukune remarked, walking past Kurumu.

A smile spread across Gin's face. "Well, I'll be! The player himself! Daggum, kid, you got tall on me!" Gin exclaimed, getting up and rustling Tsukune's hair as if he were his older brother.

Tsukune chuckled nervously. It was better than the alternative, he supposed; having his neck in an iron grip while being noogied into saying 'uncle'.

"Moka, yer still as pretty as ever." He said with a wink, accompanied by a smile. Moka blushed slightly, only because she was being pointed out.

"And Kurumu, you seem to have a… bounce to ya." He grinned mischievously, and Kurumu took a swing at him, which he smoothly dodged while laughing. "Ah, I _still_ know how to get to ya!"

Gin went around the rest of the group, smiling, laughing, and catching up with everyone. He had been busy this summer, not just with taking snapshots of girls, but actually applying for journalism jobs in the human world.

They didn't all outwardly admit it, but it was nice to have their werewolf back in the group. All except Kokoa, who hated his guts. Gin didn't seem to notice. If he did, he didn't seem to care.

But his nonchalant attitude was part of his charm. He would probably be a role model for guys everywhere… if he wasn't such a major pervert.

Tsukune, Moka, and Kurumu had met Gin early on in the year. At first he was a jerk, and he tried to frame Tsukune for being the school pervert. In the end, Tsukune's name was cleared, and eventually, Gin became a valued member of the group.

Under scrutiny from the females, of course.

It might be hard to tell from just his looks, but back in his freshman year, Gin was actually quite the fighter. He was known as 'Mad-Dog Morioka', and he was undefeated… until he picked a fight with San Otanashi, the leader of the news club at that point. For someone so small (she was actually Gin's elder, despite her size), she was tough. She helped Gin get on the straight and narrow… for the most part. Perversion is pretty much incurable.

"All right, I know y'all have had a long first day, but yer just gonna have to buck up and shrug it off, because we got a paper to write. A very important issue, too." Gin said, with all seriousness. The only time he dropped his laid-back exterior was when it involved the paper.

Everyone groaned. They were exhausted. They wanted to call it a day. It was great to see Gin again, but they needed a break.

"Aw, c'mon, Gin! Can't we get a bit of rest first? We can start tomorrow!" Kurumu begged.

Gin sighed in irritation. "You always were the lazy one. Remember what I said, way back when? When you walk in here, ya hand in yer soul. This club ain't for slackers."

He thought for a moment.

"But… I _guess_ I can cut ya a break. Just this once. I mean, first day of yer last year and all." Gin waved his hand dismissively.

"Go get some shut-eye. But remember—No mercy tomorrow." He said.

Everyone smiled and thanked him. He smirked back.

"Go on and git, before I change my mind!"

They all left. Gin shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Crazy kids…"

* * *

The next day was pretty boring for Tsukune. He was in math class while Ms. Ririko was giving a particularly uninteresting lesson. Some students were feverishly trying to keep up, but most didn't care, including Tsukune. He wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings. He was thinking of Moka.

Before Fairy Tale kidnapped her, Tsukune, Tohofuhai, and Mizore got trapped in Moka's seal, and saw memories that the seal had blocked from Moka's consciousness. They almost got trapped there, but Kurumu used her succubus powers to dive in and save them.

One memory nearly sent Tsukune over the edge of despair; he witnessed Moka's sealing ritual, and it was revealed that the 'outer' Moka that he was in love with was a pseudo-personality, a sort of artificial intelligence. At that point, he had let go of Kurumu and fell deeper into the dream-like state of Moka's seal.

As he drifted deeper into the abyss, he witnessed a final hidden memory; it showed the 'outer' Moka crying as the headmaster discussed with Moka's caretaker that Moka's mother, Akasha, had created a perfect pseudo-personality, one that was becoming self-aware, as if Akasha had been reincarnated to protect her daughter.

Tsukune realized that even though the outer Moka had been _created_ artificially, it did not mean that she wasn't any less real. It just meant that Moka had two personalities that shared the same body.

He confessed his love to the memory of Moka, a confession that she would not remember once she woke up. But it was one that everyone else who witnessed it would remember… especially Kurumu, who broke down into tears. He really worried about her, because she seemed so weak after hearing it.

Ms. Ririko's reprimanding of a student brought Tsukune back to reality. For a moment, he thought it was directed towards him, but she was looking—rather, leering—at a student sitting next to the window. He saw that it was none other than the blond boy from lunch yesterday.

"Katsutoshi-san, I would advise you wake up and join us! You have been absent from class for a while, and now that you've finally come back to us, you would rather stare out the window than learn!" Ms. Ririko huffed.

"For the next few days, I want you to come and study here during your lunch break. Are we clear?" She finished.

A few students laughed lightly, but ceased to do so when the blond boy turned to glare at the teacher with eyes that could pierce metal.

The temperature in the class dropped a few degrees. Not by much, but it was noticeable. His icy aura was amplified for a few seconds, but then he closed his eyes and sighed. The temperature returned to normal.

"Of course, ma'am. I understand." He said, looking up with a warm smile that no doubt hid his contempt, after which he rolled his eyes with a scowl and shook his head before returning his gaze to the window again.

Ms. Ririko just sighed in annoyance and continued the lesson.

* * *

The day after that, Tsukune had to go to Ms. Nekonome's classroom during lunch to retrieve some documents for the first edition of the Youkai Times. As he walked down the hallway, he passed by Ms. Ririko's room and glanced inside.

Of course, he saw the blond boy that Ms. Ririko chastised in class yesterday, scribbling notes intently.

_At least she didn't brainwash him. _Tsukune thought.

His last name was Katsutoshi, right? He seemed different from yesterday. He was paler and… was he a bit skinnier? Tsukune couldn't really tell from this distance. Also, it may have been the light, but he could've sworn that his eyes were normally icy blue, not blue flecked with amber. He looked pretty hungry, but he _did _have to skip lunch to come and work on math. That would make any guy hungry.

But it shouldn't look like he had gone two days without anything to eat.

Tsukune just left it at that and continued on to get those papers. As he sauntered down the empty halls, his mind drifted to thoughts of Moka, both the sweet, kind, pink-haired outer Moka and the strong, gorgeous, silver-haired inner Moka. How he loved them both.

He started out loving the outer Moka, but lately he couldn't help but think about inner Moka as well. Whenever she was around, his blood just… resonated. It pumped faster whenever she got close. His heart thudded against his ribs whenever he saw the silver-haired beauty. He wanted to confess so badly… but his fear of rejection made him refrain from speaking to her about it.

She had high standards, and pointed out on several occasions that his chances with her were low. He didn't think that he could live with her rejecting him, after all they've went through. He couldn't think of going back to the life he had before he met her. He wasn't the same average human boy anymore. He had strength. He had friends. He had a crush. For all purposes, he had a new life.

He thought maybe the outer Moka would accept him, but… it was pointless unless both aspects of Moka were in agreement. He couldn't just settle for outer Moka, because her inner self would just stop them from being together. Anytime he would get too close, the Rosario would jab him in the face with inner Moka's disapproval, making him keep his distance.

The inner Moka always said that Tsukune was only in love with her 'outer' self, and what went on between the outer Moka and him had nothing to do with her.

Tsukune was now finding that to be untrue. He was hopelessly and madly in love with both of them. But, would he have to choose between the two sides of the one he loved? He didn't want to only pick one. He wanted both. He had always been modest, but he couldn't get past this one fact; he couldn't live without either aspect of Moka.

He sighed as he arrived at Ms. Nekonome's classroom and began to search for those documents.

* * *

The scar-faced boy was in hell.

Not only was he being forced to give a desperate attempt to learn math (which he hated with a passion) he was being forced to skip lunch.

He had cleared out all the food in his dorm room, and lately he hadn't been successful in his attempts to catch anything nourishing in the forested parts of the school's grounds. What he did find didn't hold him over very long.

He was becoming increasingly aggressive and reclusive. His blood sugar was low. Very, very low. And for someone like him, that was dangerous. He wouldn't be able to control himself. He would become unstable.

The slightest irritant would make him snap and lash out. He had to get something to eat, soon. He couldn't remember the last time he went this long without eating.

At least, he didn't want to.

The voices that only he could hear were all but screaming at him. He felt weak and nauseous. He wasn't going to last much longer.

He could hear the wind calling to him.

* * *

Each subsequent day that Tsukune saw the Katsutoshi boy, he looked worse for wear each time. Tsukune felt bad for him, but he couldn't really do much. Gin was keeping his promise of keeping the club busy.

Tsukune got very little time to rest, and when he got a break, he used it for himself. They weren't even halfway done making the first issue of the year. His schedule consisted of school, newspaper club, homework, and sleep, in that order. He was running on fumes.

One day, the Katsutoshi boy didn't show up at all. Due to his appearance lately, and the recent fact that he hasn't appeared at all, Ms. Ririko began to get worried. So the next time she saw Tsukune and the others, she approached them.

"Aono-Kun…" she called as Tsukune was leaving class. Tsukune froze in place.

_Oh, dammit…_ he thought with a shiver. _Please don't make me go to a study session!_

"Y-yes, Ririko-sensei?" Tsukune stuttered. He gulped anxiously.

"I have a favor to ask of you and your little friends. As you might have noticed, one of your fellow students, Katsutoshi-kun, has been out for a while. His increasing rate of absence is starting to worry me." Ms. Ririko stated. "I would like you to go find him, if you don't mind."

"W-well, actually, ma'am…" Tsukune said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Our club supervisor, Ginei Morioka, really has us busy lately, and we don't have a lot of time to-"

"Oh, don't worry about Morioka-kun, Tsukune." Ms. Ririko interrupted. "I'll talk to him… personally." She smiled warmly, and Tsukune shuddered. He felt bad for Gin.

"I-if you insist, Ririko-sensei…" Tsukune agreed. He couldn't say no now.

"Thank you Tsukune. I appreciate it." Ms. Ririko said, and walked off.

And with that, Tsukune went to find the others.

* * *

"So, his last name's Katsutoshi, eh?" Kurumu asked. "What's his first name?"

"I don't know. It was never mentioned." Tsukune replied.

They were walking out of school grounds, since no teacher has seen him recently. There was no other place in the buildings to look. He wasn't in any of the classrooms, and he wasn't in the dorms. Finally, Yukari decided to try a divination technique, which pointed to the forest.

"Come on guys! We're getting close, I can tell, desu!" Yukari exclaimed.

"And we didn't resort to this to begin with because…?" Kurumu trailed off.

Yukari was about to summon a wash-bin to hit her head when Mizore piped up.

"Hey, who's that?"

They all turned to look.

What they saw was the Katsutoshi boy, but he didn't look well… at all.

He was very emaciated, to the point to where it looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. His skin was paler than Mizore's.

His eyes were no longer icy blue… they were a bestial shade of goldenrod, and they were wide with frenzy.

He was looking around with those burning crazed eyes, growling and swinging his…claws… in wide arcs at something only he could see.

After about a minute, he seized up, and fell to his knees.

Everyone rushed to him. He was slouched against a tree, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His wide eyes didn't seem to gaze _at _everything, but _through_ them.

Everyone circled around him, panicking.

"What's wrong with him!?" Kurumu exclaimed.

"He's starving, and is going into shock because of it!" Yukari answered. "But it doesn't make sense… if he was only gone a few days, even without food, he shouldn't be at _this_ level of starvation!"

"Zenyeshth!" The scar-face boy shouted, spouting insane gibberish. "Gudsneshth Nyekth!"

He coughed up blood, and stopped moving. He was unconscious.

"Come on guys! We need to get him to the infirmary! I can't lift him by myself!" Tsukune cried out.

The others nodded. Tsukune wrapped the boy's right arm around his shoulder, while Moka took his left.

They dashed as fast as they could to the infirmary.

* * *

Everyone was outside the infirmary waiting anxiously. Had they gotten the boy here too late?

The nurse walked out and smiled at them.

"You got him here just in time. Who knows what could've happened to him if you didn't."

"So… he's going to be alright?" Tsukune asked hopefully. "How is he now?"

"He's going to be just fine. He's stable now. All he needed was a good meal. He surprised us though, it usually takes time to recover from the effects of severe starvation, but he returned to normal within the hour. He doesn't seem to remember much." The nurse explained.

"Can we see him?" Tsukune asked. He felt obliged to see for himself how the boy was doing.

"I guess you can. Be careful though, he might be resting." The nurse cautioned.

"We'll keep that in mind! Thanks!" Tsukune said as he brushed past her excitedly.

He and the others walked in to check on the scar-faced boy. There he was, lying in bed barely awake. When he noticed them, his eyes opened fully. They were blue again.

"Hi there!" Tsukune said warmly. "You gave us quite the scare!"

The boy didn't respond. He just shifted in his bed nervously.

"Um…" Tsukune started, feeling awkward. "I'm Tsukune Aono. These are my friends."

He motioned to everyone. The boy looked at them while they introduced themselves.

"I'm Moka Akashiya." Moka said, smiling.

The boy tilted his head to the side curiously.

"I'm Kurumu Kurono!" Kurumu chirped. "And I'm sorry about what I said before… I didn't mean it."

The boy nodded, waiting for the next person to be introduced.

"I'm Yukari Sendo!" Yukari exclaimed. "It's good to see you're well again, desu!"

The boy smiled lightly. Then he turned to Mizore.

"…I'm Mizore Shirayuki." Mizore stated in her cool, level voice and bored expression.

The boy's gaze lingered longer on Mizore than the others. He blushed slightly, then looked down.

"So, what about you? What's your name?" Tsukune inquired.

The boy was silent for a moment. Then he looked up, and spoke.

"Kiba. You can call me Kiba."

* * *

[[[…Finally… another chapter down… this one took all day and part of the previous night to write. And, finally, the scar-faced boy's name is revealed. Yes, my character's name is the same as my pen name. That's pretty much the name I give to all of my characters. And Yes, Last chapter I did say that it would probably be a chapter or so before we saw him again, but I found a way to piece together some of my ideas that I've been having, and this is how it worked out. My apologies.

Also, I explained that 'outer' Moka is just part of the same person. It was even explained that she became self-aware in the manga. So there! On a final note, the 'insane gibberish' Kiba was saying was actually inspired by similar gibberish that the wendigo victim John Chanler, who would give in to the curse later, said in the book "The Curse of the Wendigo". So, that was my homage to that. Peace! ...this is exhausting…]]]


	4. Rest and Agitation

The scar-faced boy—Kiba—couldn't remember how he got here. The last thing he remembered was trying to get something to eat, but he didn't have anything left in his dorm. He couldn't get lunch because of his math teacher forced him to work during his lunch break.

So, he had gone to the forest to catch something.

But he couldn't.

He remembered his frustration at the deer getting away once again, and a voice chiding him in his head…

And he woke up here.

Every now and then he remembered vague images, but it wasn't much. He felt like he had been gone a while.

The nurse had told him that some other students had found him in the forest, starving and in shock.

As it turns out, it was the same group of students who he'd seen pretty much everywhere else.

There was the one boy in the group (he said his name was Tsukune), and he seemed pretty normal. Kiba could sense several odd things about him. For the most part, he seemed and smelled like a human, but there was something else… Kiba could tell that this guy was hiding some real power behind his seemingly average exterior. He also noted that most of the girls in the group were very possessive over him, but he didn't seem entirely comfortable with all the attention.

The girl next to Tsukune, who introduced herself as Moka, seemed very friendly. Kiba could also sense a lot of energy coming from the rosary she was wearing. He had seen her and Tsukune stealing glances at each other, and he instantly knew what was up. He chuckled to himself mentally.

Next in the line-up was the blue-haired girl, Kurumu. This was the same chick who called him weird in the hall that day, although she apologized for that. He guessed he could forgive her.

Standing next to Kurumu was the little girl dressed as a witch, Yukari. Kiba instantly liked her. She seemed very outgoing and it looked like she was fairly smart for her age.

Then there was the quiet girl, Mizore. Out of all of them, she was the one that captured his attention the most. She had a gentle, cool presence, and was absolutely beautiful. Kiba felt his cheeks get warm, and he looked away. She seemed so… pure.

They were all very close, that much he could tell. He had the feeling that they had been through a lot. They were the best of friends.

Kiba envied them a little. He never really had any friends. He was homeschooled, and was pretty solitary, even a bit shy when it came to social situations.

After the… accident… he had become even more reclusive. The only person he had was his uncle, his father's brother, and he was almost always traveling because of his job. In essence, Kiba was pretty much alone.

He wondered if maybe he could find friends in this group. After all, they weren't human either, right? This was a school for monsters. And, if what he heard was true, he owed them a debt of gratitude.

He spoke up again. "What… exactly happened?"

"You don't remember?" Tsukune asked.

Kiba shook his head. "Not a thing. The nurse told me you had found me in the woods…?"

Tsukune nodded. "That's right. You were in pretty bad shape. The nurse said it was starvation."

Kiba remained silent for a moment.

"In any case, um… Thank you." He finally said, not accustomed to using the phrase.

Tsukune smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, don't mention it. It's what anyone else would have done."

Kiba nodded slightly, and looked at Mizore from the corner of his eye. She didn't see him, because she was busy staring at Tsukune. She did that a lot, he noted.

"Well, um…" Kiba started nervously. "Thanks again. Don't want to keep you any longer."

He started to get out of the infirmary's bed.

From behind the curtain stepped out a tall girl in a nurse outfit. She had reddish-brown eyes and long, brown hair that was tied up into ponytails in two places.

"Ruby?" Tsukune asked. He wasn't too terribly surprised, because the tall witch showed up all over the school to help where the headmaster saw fit.

"Oh, hi Tsukune!" she said, beaming.

Tsukune wasn't going to ask what she was doing here as a nurse, because he really didn't have too much time to listen to one of her 'long stories'.

"And you, Katsutoshi-san. Where do you think you're going?" She inquired.

"Um… to my dorm to get my stuff and go to class?" He half answered, half asked.

"Wrong." Ruby replied curtly. "You need to stay here so we can examine your condition."

"But… I'm better." Kiba said, confused.

"Correction: you _appear _to be better." Ruby replied. "We need to keep you here for a few days to see if any permanent damage was done."

Kiba looked at her incredulously.

She sighed. "Not all monsters recover at the same rate. We also found you in a severe state of starvation."

It was Kiba's turn to sigh. "I really feel better—"

"From the information we've gathered, you had only been gone two days." Ruby cut in. "But you looked as if you hadn't had a meal in two weeks."

Kiba started to say something but stopped. A look of confusion spread across his face.

"Two days?" He said with disbelief. "That's all it's been?"

Ruby nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Because it felt like I was out there for… I don't even know how long. I don't remember anything, but I feel like I'm missing some time." Kiba replied.

Ruby rubbed her chin. "Interesting… it looks like we'll have to give you a full psych evaluation as well."

Kiba groaned and rubbed his temples. "_Damn_ it…"

"Expect to be in here about another week or so." Ruby said.

Kiba cursed under his breath. "Alright, fine… Whatever…"

"Don't worry about having to catch up on schoolwork. We'll have someone send that down to you so you can work on it in your spare time." Ruby said with a smile.

"Hooray." Kiba replied with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. He turned to look out the window.

"Now, you need rest. Everyone else, you can report back to whatever you were doing." Ruby said.

"Thanks. Hope you get better, Kiba. See you later, Ruby!" Tsukune said as he left with Moka and the others.

Ruby blushed. "Bye, Tsukune!" She sighed as he walked out of sight.

Kiba's gaze never left the window.

Ruby went back behind the curtain where her desk was. Before she sat down and tried to do paperwork, she turned back to Kiba.

"Need anything to help you sleep?"

"No." He replied, still looking out the window.

Ruby frowned. "Just let me know if you need anything."

Kiba nodded once.

Ruby sighed and sat down. She scribbled away at the files on her desk.

* * *

It was after school, and the members of the Newspaper Club were working on their near-completed first issue of the year.

"I can't believe we're finally almost done!" Kurumu exclaimed, stretching.

"Yeah, finally." Gin agreed. "It took y'all long enough to do. Seems like yer out of practice."

"It would have gone a lot faster with your help!" Kurumu huffed.

Gin laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "Like I said before, I don't do grunt work." He gave a big grin.

Kurumu glared, but didn't say anything further.

Tsukune laughed anxiously.

"Hey, after this, we could finally get a decent night's sleep!" He joked.

Moka laughed too. She had been thinking lately. Mainly about whether or not she should ask Tsukune out. Should she wait for him, or should she take the initiative? She wasn't sure. What would her inner self do?

_She probably wouldn't be thinking about this._ Moka thought.

Tsukune saw Moka looking lost in thought.

"Moka-san?" he asked.

Moka looked up blushing. "Y-yes, Tsukune?"

"Is everything alright? You seem distant." He said.

She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, Tsukune. Thanks for asking."

They started to gaze at each other, like they always did.

"Moka-san…" Tsukune started.

"Tsukune…" Moka answered.

"Moka—OWW!" Tsukune yelled. Gin had hit him on the top of the head.

"Oh, no you don't. Not while we still have a paper to write!" Gin said. "Flirt later. Work now."

Moka blushed and looked away while Tsukune tenderly rubbed his head.

"What do you mean, 'we'?!" Tsukune barked at him. Gin only laughed.

Moka and Tsukune got back to work.

_I kind of wanted that one to go somewhere…_ Moka thought sadly.

Tsukune sighed. He might have actually had the courage to kiss her that time. Well, so much for that. His confidence was back to square one.

Tsukune felt that he needed to confess soon. It was really gnawing at him. He should just talk to her when she was alone and tell her how he felt…

_Yeah, and _that's _always worked so well in the past_. He thought.

He started to formulate different ideas about how to tell her he loved her.

He could say he needed her opinion on something for the paper and wanted to ask her personally, and when they stepped outside he would confess.

That was actually a pretty good idea. He decided to give it a try.

"Hey, Moka-san?" he asked.

She looked up. "Yes, Tsukune?"

Tsukune gulped. He would _not_ chicken out this time.

"I, uh, I need your opinion on something. Could I talk to you outside for a moment?" Tsukune asked. There was no way this could go wrong.

"Oh? On what?" she inquired.

"Oh, just a little something for an article. Kind of a last minute addition, actually." He said, smiling. _Nicely played._

"Why can't you show me in here?" Moka asked, tilting her head to the side.

Tsukune racked his brain furiously for an answer. "Well, um… I kind of want it to be a surprise for the others. But I can't do it alone, and I need someone to collaborate with."

"Oh, okay then." She said smiling, and got up.

Tsukune couldn't believe it. This was actually working! They headed for the door and—

"Where are y'all going?" Gin asked in an irritated tone.

The joyous bubble Tsukune was in deflated.

"Um, we're just going to discuss something. We won't be long!" He managed to reply.

"Oh?" Gin asked, still sounding irritated. "And that something would be…?"

"Well, you see, it's kind of a surprise—"

"No." Gin interrupted, shaking his head. "I don't want any surprises with this paper. I want everything to go smooth and by the numbers."

Tsukune hung his head. Moka looked at him, feeling a little sorry.

"It's okay Tsukune. Maybe next time!" She said, flashing a smile.

Tsukune groaned in response.

Moka had a hunch that didn't really have any 'surprise' he wanted to show her. But she wasn't confident enough to approach him about it.

"Why don't you just show me now, Tsukune? I mean, it won't get published, but I'd still love to see it!" She said smiling.

Tsukune shook his head. "No, it's okay, Moka. My inspiration kind of died… I, uh, hadn't written it down yet…" Of course, what he meant by his inspiration dying was that, once again, his confidence had taken a swan dive.

Moka frowned slightly. It seemed her hunch was wrong, then. She felt disappointed. It would have been kind of romantic if he was trying to talk to her alone just to ask her out or something. Maybe she was too focused on this.

"Oh… Okay, then." She said, her disappointment leaking into her voice.

Tsukune looked up and smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe next time, then, okay Moka?" he said.

Moka blushed. "Yeah, next time for sure!"

They started to gaze again.

"Moka-san…"

"Tsukune…"

"Moka—OWW, Damn it!" Tsukune yelped. He had been hit again.

Gin huffed and shook his head. "What did I just get through tellin' ya?"

* * *

Tsukune had already thought of another idea.

He had written a note on a piece of paper that read 'I love you'. He then folded it and put it on top of a large stack of documents, and positioned it carefully on top of the other papers. Then, he picked the stack up, and walked to the other side of the room, making sure to 'accidentally' drop it by Moka along the way.

Moka noticed. "Oh, hey, you dropped this!" She said.

Tsukune pretended to look confused. "I did? It doesn't look familiar."

Moka, however, was genuinely confused. "But, I saw you drop it."

Tsukune couldn't believe this. "That doesn't look like it belongs with this stack. Must've been my mistake. Why don't you take it?" He said, slightly emphasizing the last sentence.

"Nah, you're right. It looks like a scrap piece of paper. I'll go throw it away!" she said, and did just that.

Tsukune almost dropped the stack of useless crap he was holding. "Um… Thanks, Moka. Thanks a lot."

"Don't worry about it Tsukune! It was just a piece of paper. It didn't look too important." She said, smiling at him.

Tsukune, spirits crushed yet again, said nothing as he went to go set the stack down.

"Oh, hey, I gotta go to Ms. Nekonome's room to get something real quick. Be right back!" Moka said cheerily, and walked out of the clubroom.

Tsukune was just getting back to work when he heard someone say "Hey, what's this?"

It was Kurumu, and she had found the note in the trash. Tsukune paled.

She opened it up and looked at it. She blushed, and smiled wide. "Tsukune, this is looks like your handwriting! You made sure this was hidden where I would find it, so you wouldn't hurt the others' feelings!" She grabbed him and pulled him into one of her smothering hugs.

"I knew it all along, Tsukune! You're so sweet! I love you, too!" She squealed. Tsukune flailed his arms.

A dagger made of ice struck Kurumu's head. She dropped Tsukune.

"Back off, Boob-zilla. Obviously, that note was meant for me, but it found its way into the wrong hands." Mizore said coolly.

Tsukune couldn't help but notice the irony in that statement.

"You could have executed a better plan, Tsukune. But, it doesn't matter now. I get the message." Mizore said and she hugged his arm tight.

"Uh, wait, there's been a bit of a mix up!" Tsukune started.

As if on cue, two wash-bins hailed onto Mizore and Kurumu's heads. Yukari popped up.

"You guys know that note was for me!" She chirped, tackling Tsukune.

"Tsukune, I _knew_ that you felt that way! I love you!" She squealed.

Tsukune was struggling to get out of her grip. "Uh, Moka's taking a while, I think I'll go help her get that document!" He said, and dashed out of the room, leaving the other three girls and Gin in the room.

Gin burst out laughing. "Oh, man! That kid really _is_ hopeless!"

* * *

Tsukune stopped halfway down the hall.

"Everything I thought of failed…" he said with self-pity. "I thought they were pretty good ideas, too."

He sighed, then thought of something. "Moka really is taking a while, isn't she?"

He also remembered that Ms. Nekonome was not in her room, since it was after school.

But Moka was.

He smiled and went to find her. Maybe his luck was changing after all.

He walked in. "Hey, Moka-san!" he said. But he went quiet. She wasn't there.

"Moka-san?"

He searched the hallways for a good ten minutes, calling her name. Finally, he gave up and went back to the clubroom.

He walked in, and, of course, Moka was there.

She smiled. "Oh, hey Tsukune!" she said. "We were starting to get worried."

Tsukune twitched. Then he sighed, and smiled. "Yeah, you were taking a while so I went to look for you."

Moka blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Oh, I remembered where I left that document. It wasn't in Ms. Nekonome's room after all! It was in my locker."

Tsukune laughed to himself. _Of all the luck…_

"Anyways, it's getting kind of late, so we're calling it a day here." She said.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, that sounds good, I'm pretty tired." Tsukune said with a smile.

Moka nodded and yawned. Then she sniffed.

"Oh…" She said. "I realized, I haven't had anything to drink in a while."

Tsukune smiled. "That's okay. Tomato juice is on me today."

"Thanks Tsukune, but… I…" She fluttered her eyes a bit.

Tsukune paled. He realized what she meant.

"Moka-san… wait…" He said nervously, backing up against the wall. She followed him.

In hindsight, that wasn't his best maneuver.

"Just a sip…!" She whispered, and bit into his neck.

Tsukune yelled comically.

* * *

[[[There you have it! Chapter four is done. I hope that you guys liked this one. I put a lot of thought into it, and I like how it turned out! We needed a little romantic comedy, didn't we? Peace!]]]


	5. End of Denial

Tsukune was brooding in his dorm that night. He lay in bed and stared intently at the ceiling with a frown adorning his face. He was thinking about his failed attempts at confessing to Moka that he loved her.

_Well, why shouldn't they have failed? _He thought contemptuously. _They were all so childish!_

He sighed and shook his head into his hand. How could he have even thought that those stupid plans would have worked? Note-passing? Really? That was the _best_ he could come up with? He really deserved being smothered by Kurumu. He was almost begging for it with _that_ bright idea.

Why was it so hard to tell someone that he loved them? Is it just because he's shy of hurting the other girls' feelings? He supposed that was part of it. He had known them all for so long now… seeing any of them hurt would crush him, as well.

But he would have to choose sooner or later. And what if he chose Moka? Would he really have to choose between her inner and outer self as well? He weighed his choices.

_On one hand, I met outer Moka first. She's kind and considerate, but she also drinks my blood a lot. _

_On the other hand, Inner Moka is tough and beautiful, but prideful. She also stated that I didn't have a shot with her. She did help me train, and she did save my life on numerous occasions…_

Tsukune considered a thousand other things about the two Mokas. He sighed again. A larger problem revealed itself in his mind; how would he even be able to choose? They were stuck in the same body.

He didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to rest. Tomorrow would be a new day. Hopefully, it would be a better day. His eyes, feeling like lead weights, slowly drooped closed.

Tsukune let sleep take a hold of him.

* * *

He was sure he was dreaming. How he knew, well, something just told him that this was a dream. There was nothing but a black background with no discernible horizon. All he knew to do was to wander around.

After a while, he saw a feminine figure facing away from him. He smiled, knowing by the pink hair who it was; Moka. He approached her and attempted to place a hand on her shoulder, but his hand went straight through her, like she wasn't really there. His eyes widened and a look of horrified shock spread across his face. He tried again; his hand went through her, just like the last time. Realization hit him like a bullet train; she was an illusion.

The illusionary Moka turned to him. She smiled lightly, almost apologetically. Tsukune's look of surprise hadn't left his face. The Moka illusion frowned lightly, seeming hurt. A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned and started to walk away. Tsukune tried to call to her, but no sound would come out. She stopped, almost as if she had heard him. Tsukune smiled hopefully, thinking that she would come back.

But she didn't.

Without turning to him, the phantom Moka lifted her hand to her breast, which shortly returned to her side. She was holding the rosary. Tsukune's eyes widened as he mouthed a 'no'.

She let it drop.

Moka continued to walk away, fading with every step she took. Tsukune tried running after her, but he was rooted to the spot. He tried screaming her name, but he still remained silent. Moka disappeared.

Tsukune had finally regained movement, as he dashed forward, looking frantically in all directions. She was nowhere to be seen. Tears stung his eyes and he slumped to his knees, sobbing silently. He picked up the discarded rosary with a shaky hand, and gripped it tight. He held it to his chest and cried.

A new presence embraced him from behind. He turned his head slightly, sobs still tearing from his chest, and through his tears he saw Inner Moka, who had pulled him into a comforting hug. Tsukune turned and wrapped his arms around her, sobbing. She began to rub his back soothingly. He breathed in her sweet scent with every intake of breath.

He pulled back slightly and wiped the tears from his eyes. He smiled at her. She returned the smile, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Tsukune blushed a little bit. Inner Moka stood up and extended her hand to him. He sniffled and took it, while she helped him up. Still holding hands, they walked together, for what seemed like an eternity.

* * *

Tsukune's eyes shot open. He sat up and looked around the room, eyes adjusting to the shadows. He held his head in his hands, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his brow.

The denial that had been clouding his mind was washed away by his dream. The outer Moka he loved was, in fact, artificial. His heart ached. He slowly shook his head, his expression blank.

He rest his head back on his pillow and tried to go back to sleep. It didn't work. He tossed and turned for a good fifteen minutes before he got up and walked outside to the balcony of his dorm.

He sighed and looked at the stars, processing all of the troubling information in his head. Did his dream really mean anything, or was it just random? He was leaning towards the former. It was too precise to be random.

He couldn't help but chuckle cynically. Hell, he had known about this since his last encounter with Fairy Tale, yet he had denied it. But it was all right there. He paced on the balcony, his fingers trailing on the rail.

His dream showed that outer Moka wasn't real, but it had also showed something about inner Moka… that she was actually kind and caring underneath her rough exterior.

Tsukune smirked at that thought. It couldn't be. Inner Moka, caring? Now he was sure that it was just a crazy dream.

_Actually, come to think of it…_ His smirk died as he contemplated that thought.

Inner Moka had acted selflessly on his behalf many times. At first, he thought she did what she did just because she had been pent up and wanted to fight, and that she protected him only for his blood. But in the fight against Kuyou, when Tsukune had gotten injured protecting his friends, Moka could have just as easily have focused on fighting Kuyou and let Tsukune die, but she gave him her blood to save him. For a vampire, that was no meaningless act.

When the monstrel Mido had kidnapped Moka, Tsukune had taken several near-fatal blows (actually fatal to anyone else) in her place, even though she said she didn't need his help. She admitted she said those things because she didn't want him to die. That meant she cares, right? Also, during their training, they had practically gone out on a date. Well, it turned out to be a training exercise, but they held hands. The fact that she would even hold hands with someone like him proved she gave a little bit of a damn about him.

He sighed as he thought of Inner Moka. It took him a few moments to realize that his heart was racing and his blood was causing his temperature to rise, which made the sting of the chilled air feel colder against his skin. He shivered and went back inside, flopping on his bed.

His last conscious thoughts before drifting back to sleep were about the silver-haired beauty.

_Moka…_

* * *

The next day, Tsukune still felt exhausted. His sleep was fitful at best. He felt a little grumpy, but it wasn't in his nature to outwardly show it. Also, he was still thinking of Moka. Of course, that was normal for him. If he wasn't thinking of Moka, it was usually because he was in the middle of a fight, and even then his reason for fighting was most likely to defend her.

The school day seemed to blend together for him. He didn't really notice each individual class period. If he was called on, he just mumbled incoherently or didn't answer at all. A few other students laughed but he couldn't care less. He almost got detention with a few teachers as well. So what?

Later, at News Club, his condition didn't go unnoticed. He sat at a desk with his head buried in his crossed arms.

"Tsukune… are you alright? You look terrible!" Moka said, extremely worried.

Tsukune mumbled something, muffled by him arms.

Moka looked confused. "What?"

He lifted his head up a little bit, and gave a weak smile. "I said I'm fine, I just didn't get much sleep last night."

Moka sat by him. "Why not? What was wrong?" she inquired.

Tsukune thought for a moment. He couldn't tell her about his dream or what he was really thinking of.

"Oh, um… I was just a little anxious about today. We're, uh, adding the finishing touches. This whole 'first issue' thing has been keeping me up." He lied.

_That was really_ _weak..._ he thought. Then again, he was exhausted, and that was probably the best he could come up with at the moment.

Gin looked up from the magazine he was reading (a skin mag called 'Howler'). He raised his eyebrow, and went back to reading, shaking his head.

"Really?" Kurumu said, voice permeated by disbelief. She crossed her arms and put her weight on her right leg.

"Yeah. Had a minor case of insomnia. I stepped out and got some air, which helped. Unfortunately, by the time I went back to bed, I had only a few hours left to sleep." He laughed nervously.

Gin snorted and turned the page, face masked by the magazine and the angle he was lounging in.

"But, hey, I'll be fine. Let's just add the finishing touches, okay?" Tsukune asked, wanting the subject dropped.

Moka nodded, still worried. "If you say so."

They all started reviewing the segments and articles. Kurumu had her usual cooking corner, Yukari had written the horoscope, Mizore had a poetry section (she was actually really into poetry), Moka had an advice column ("Ask Moka"), Tsukune had his journalism story, and Kokoa had…

"Wait a minute," Tsukune started, "Where _is_ Kokoa?"

Everyone had forgotten about her, being enveloped in school and work. Kokoa had been in the News Club last year, but she always felt that it was degrading. But they had to admit, she had a real knack for chasing after mysteries, as she showed with the Phantom Attacker case early last year. For someone who said she hated the club, she had a real passion for 'forceful' journalism.

Gin sighed and put down his magazine, then got up. "Well, someone's gonna have to find her. We can't just be puttin' out our first issue without the whole gang. Be back shortly."

"I'll go, too." Tsukune said, stretching. "I could use the air."

Gin rolled his eyes. "And I thought I was the one who trailed after pretty women. It kinda looks like you got yer hands full already." He nodded towards the others.

Tsukune sighed in response. "I just don't feel right without having the whole club here. So, I'm going to help." He shrugged.

Gin shook his head. "Alright, fine. But if she kicks you, don't blame me."

He turned back to the others. "Y'all just keep working. We won't be too long."

"I think we can survive without you for a few minutes, Gin." Kurumu huffed.

Gin smirked. "We'll see." He chuckled coyly and left with Tsukune.

* * *

They had been walking in the hall for about five minutes when Gin stopped, looking at Tsukune seriously.

"Alright, Talk." He demanded. "What's been eatin' at ya?"

Tsukune looked back, exhausted. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Gin said gruffly. "Yer runnin' on fumes, and you look pretty depressed. Call me crazy, but I'd say somethin's on yer mind."

Tsukune sighed. "Gin, really, I'm—"

"No, yer not fine." Gin interjected. "Tell it to me straight—this isn't the first sleepless night you've had all year, is it?"

"So what if it isn't?" Tsukune snapped at him, fatigue bringing forth a rare case of irritation. "Why would you care?"

Gin sighed and shook his head sadly. "'Cause as yer club supervisor, I'm responsible for ya. I need everyone to be in top shape."

"Oh, is that all?" Tsukune challenged mockingly. "You just need your machines to be oiled and working, right?"

Gin narrowed his eyes. "You know it's not like that. I don't think of you only as machines."

"Well, you could've fooled me!" Tsukune shouted. The janitor cleaning down the hall looked up meekly before he went right back to work, hurrying off in the opposite direction.

"Tsukune, what's wrong, man? Going off like this, it isn't like you." Gin said, genuine worry touching his voice.

"It's nothing I could tell you. You wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut." Tsukune shot, looking away. He sat down against the wall with his arms wrapped around his knees. The dark rings under his eyes were emphasized by the lighting of the hall.

Gin sat down beside him. "Do you really think so? After all we've gone through, after I've saved yer ass countless times, ya _still_ don't trust me?"

Tsukune was quiet for a few moments before he mumbled "I'm not sure I can trust anyone anymore… I don't know what to think anymore…"

Gin furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do ya mean?"

Tsukune sighed in defeat, and looked at Gin seriously. "If I tell you, you've got to swear not to tell a single soul. Don't even write it down."

Gin smirked. "Man, I have a feelin' my diary's gonna be disappointed." He joked.

Tsukune didn't smile. "That's not helping your case…"

"Alright, alright, I was just kidding. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Gin said.

Tsukune looked down. "Do you remember when we all went to Hong Kong?" he asked quietly.

Gin nodded. "Yeah, y'all went with that mafia boy, right? And Moka got captured later."

Tsukune nodded. "Well, we were trying to get the seal on Moka's rosary fixed when we got trapped inside, and saw her hidden memories…"

Gin nodded. "Go on…"

"Well, we saw her get her powers sealed, and…" Tsukune grimaced. "Part of the sealing ritual was the creation of a pseudo-personality."

Gin's features softened. He had a hunch what that meant.

"The outer Moka we all know is…" Tsukune struggled with the word. "…artificial."

Gin sighed. He knew what this must be doing to Tsukune's mind. It was showing all the signs that his denial was ripped from him.

"So, that means…" Tsukune continued with difficulty. "That means the Moka I know, who was my first and best friend here… the Moka that I love… isn't real."

Tsukune told Gin about his feelings for both Mokas, and about his dream. He explained his worry about the rest of his friends, and how they would react if he chose Moka. He expressed his worry of being rejected by either side of her. He let everything out, venting his bottled frustrations, festered pain, and unexpressed emotions.

"So, what do I do? How do I tell her I love her? And… which Moka do I really love? Is it possible to love them both, even if one is fake?" Tsukune asked. He rubbed his eyes.

Gin considered all that his friend had said. After a moment of silence, he imparted his advice.

"Geez, kid, you've had a lot on yer mind. As for your confession, I think you should just tell her flat out. As for the others, you should tell them that if they were really your friends, then they would respect your decision."

Gin let Tsukune absorb all of this for a moment. The he stood up.

"I think you should confess to her when you feel the time is right. And as for outer Moka being…" he paused for a moment, thinking of a delicate word."… artificial, I say if she doesn't already know, don't tell her."

Tsukune shook his head slowly. "I still can't believe it, Gin. I can't… I don't want to believe she's not real."

Gin looked at him. "Think of the time you spent with her. Think of her laughter, her smile, her tears… think of what she told you, about her life, and you being her first friend. Do ya think any of _that_ was fake?"

Tsukune stared at him, seemingly in awe at what Gin was saying, like the werewolf's words had cut through his cloud of doubt.

Gin stared down the hall, seemingly lost in thought. He spoke without looking at Tsukune.

"It's not a matter of whether Moka is 'Real' or 'Fake'." He said. He finally looked back at his friend.

"What you really have to ask yourself is… Are you gonna let that change how you feel? Are you gonna love her any less?" He asked, a look of seriousness on his face.

Tsukune looked at the floor, with a look of revelation on his face.

"No," he said finally. "It doesn't change anything."

* * *

[[[Chapter 5 done! Sorry this took so long, I've been tied up between school and birthday stuff. I hope you liked this chapter. Yes, I finally said outer Moka was fake. But, understand, I thought the manga was implying otherwise, with the whole "She's become self-aware" and "This is the most well-created pseudo-personality I've ever seen" bit. But the point is, it doesn't change Tsukune's feelings for Moka. Anyways, I'm out. Peace!]]]


	6. Midnight Deadline

After their little counseling session, Gin and Tsukune hurried on to their original task; finding Kokoa.

"It's after school, so she's not gonna be in any classroom." Gin said as they were walking off campus.

"Right, but where could she be?" Tsukune asked. _And why the hell is it so hard to find people around here?_

His question was answered by the hollow sounds of wood being struck repeatedly. Tsukune and Gin looked at each other and jogged towards the sound.

Of course, Kokoa was the source of the noises; she was training her kicks against a rather unlucky tree. Several impact marks already marred the trunk, and with each strike, more twigs fell off, which Kokoa avoided with ease.

"Hey, Kokoa!" Tsukune said, giving his characteristic warm smile.

Kokoa gave a final, solid kick before turning her head slightly to leer at them from the corner of her eye. She closed her eyes and sighed with visible irritation, flipping one of her blazing red pigtails.

"Well, if it isn't Goody-Two-Shoes and his Pet Perv. What do you want? I'm busy." She said coldly, before she resumed beating the tree.

"Aren't ya in New Club with us anymore? You've been gone a while." Gin asked, raising his eyebrow.

Kokoa snorted. "I ditched you loser a week ago, and you're just now noticing?"

She stopped hitting the tree and turned to face them, her hand on her hip and her leg locked in place, a pose that spouted arrogance and attitude. She narrowed her eyes.

"We kind of need you… we're finishing up today, and we're one article short. Would you come with us?" Tsukune said, giving a friendly smile.

Kokoa just glared at them, and turned back to resume her training.

"Um… Please?" Tsukune said meekly.

"That club was the biggest waste of my time. I'm not going back." She retorted curtly.

"What if we give you your own weekly section?" Gin inquired, forming a clever idea, as his grin portrayed.

Kokoa was facing away so she didn't see the sly smirk.

"As if." Was her short reply.

"Are you sure?" Gin said teasingly. His enticing tone fell on deaf ears.

"Yep." She said shortly, throwing a few fancy kicks at the tree.

"Is there anything we can do to change your mind?" He pried.

"Nope." She said, her tone revealing a trace of irritation, her kicks landing harder.

"Are you sure?" Gin said, knowing full well this was wearing her patience down, which was exactly what he was betting on. It was about time to deliver the final verbal blow.

"Yes, dammit, I'm sure, and there's nothing you can do to—"

"What if we gave you a Fighting Section?" Gin interrupted, smile growing wider. _Moment of truth…_

Kokoa stopped kicking the tree, but didn't face them. She was silent for a moment.

"….I'm listening." She said after some time.

_Checkmate…_ Gin said mentally, smirking. Even his thoughts sounded smooth and cocky.

"You could write about all the different martial arts, blocks, counters, your custom-created moves and combos… you name it, your choice." Gin offered.

"Go on." Kokoa stated, always the one to get to the point with her words.

"Maybe your dear sister would read it." Gin said. _I've got her now._

If there was anything Kokoa loved on this planet besides being a vampire, it was Moka. Not the sweet, outer Moka, but her _real_ sister, Inner Moka, who she challenged to fights every day of their childhood… and lost.

"Go on." Kokoa commanded again, shifting anxiously in place. Despite her rigid exterior, Gin knew that the thought of being able to fight her sister again excited her.

"And, maybe, after reading it, she would see how much better you are at fighting, how much knowledge on the subject you possess… and she would challenge you for real." Gin finished.

"Do… Do you really think so?" Kokoa said, turning around to face them, her skirt swishing and a twinkle of hope forming in her eyes. There was a child-like quality to them, like a kid who is anticipating her birthday. There must have been a pretty rough fight between her ego and her giddy desires.

"I know I would," Gin said, hiding his ego just barely. The werewolf was extremely proud of himself. "If I were her, I wouldn't be able to resist a fight if I knew there was a _worthy_ opponent, right there in front of me."

At 'worthy', Kokoa began to smile hopefully, a blush creeping into her cheek. She was rising up and down on her toes, unable to contain her excitement. Her expression was that of one caught in a daydream with her eyes wide and bright, a goofy yet cute smile plastered on her face.

"Onee-samaaaa…" She said in a dreamy voice.

"So is that a yes?" Gin asked coyly.

Kokoa shook her head rapidly, her normal scowl returning to her features. She tightened her fists at her sides. Had she realized that these two had seen her acting like an excited child?

"…Fine, _dog_" she spat. "You win. But I have a few conditions!"

"I'm all ears." Gin said, still smirking.

"First off, no one edits my work. What I write goes right into the press. I can edit it myself, thanks." She said sourly.

"As you wish." Gin answered.

"Second, I will not be part of your group's 'Lovey-Dovey' crap. That also means I won't be part of your harem, playboy!" She said sharply, pointing at Tsukune with an accusing finger at the last part. Tsukune held his hands up defensively, a nervous and scared smile on his face.

"S-sure…" was all he managed to say.

"Finally, I work alone. Hear me? _Alone_." She said the last word slowly, as if the two boys that formed her audience were mentally incapable. They seemed that way to her, of course.

"After I'm done, I'll turn in a copy for you to publish. If I find that any of my articles have been altered in any way, you can kiss your rears goodbye!" She said vehemently.

"Okay then." Gin said.

"I'm back in your club now. You've got want you wanted. Now go away." Kokoa ordered, turning back to the tree.

"Wait, aren't you coming with us?" Tsukune asked.

"Not today." Kokoa said smugly. Her voice was all arrogance and no subtlety. It was completely devoid of patience, just as she was now.

"W-Well, okay, see you tomorrow…" Tsukune said nervously.

"_Leave_." Kokoa hissed.

Tsukune and Gin, not wanting to press their luck with the vampire any longer, quickly turned and left.

* * *

"Well, that takes care of that." Gin said proudly, folding his hands behind his head as they walked back to the clubroom.

"How long do you think we're going to have to wait?" Tsukune wondered. They had to make the final draft _tonight_, and they were still one article short.

"She said she'd get it done before midnight." Gin said without a hint of worry.

"But, I have a test tomorrow… I can't stay up too long!" Tsukune complained.

"Well, tough luck for you, kid. We all have those days." Gin said. "Be lucky you're getting sleep tonight."

Tsukune groaned and slumped his shoulders.

They stopped outside the clubroom. Tsukune seemed hesitant.

"So… You got enough steel to confess yet?" Gin asked.

Tsukune shook his head. "Not yet. I don't feel it's the time."

"Just to be sure, you know the difference between it 'not being time' and 'being a complete wimp', right?"

Tsukune frowned at him. "Yeah, I do."

Gin shook his head. "Geez, Kid. Get a sense of humor."

They walked in to a sleepy club.

"Finally, you're back!" Kurumu exclaimed. She yawned and stretched. "We got everything else done. We just need your say-so to start printing."

"Did you find Kokoa?" Moka asked.

"Yep. She's handin' in her share before midnight tonight." Gin said nonchalantly.

"Before midnight?!" The others shouted in unison. Except Mizore, who had just been startled awake from her nap because of the noise. She looked around drowsily.

"She had her own conditions…" Tsukune said wearily. "It was all we could to do get her back in the club."

Everyone sighed. They knew Moka's half-sister could be difficult.

"So… how are we going to pass the time?" Yukari asked.

"How about we review what we have?" Tsukune suggested.

"No way, Tsukune! That's all we've _been_ doing! We've reviewed it to death!" Kurumu complained.

"Well, I know what _I'm_ doin'…" Gin muttered, propping his feet up on his desk and burying his face back in his magazine.

Kurumu glared in his direction.

"You are so useless!" she huffed.

Gin's only response was a chuckle while he turned the page.

Kurumu sighed in irritation. "This is going to take forever…"

* * *

It was twenty minutes until midnight. Everyone was still in the clubroom waiting for Kokoa to deliver her article. Yukari was playing solitaire with herself without much enthusiasm, Kurumu was sleeping, Mizore was scribbling in her notebook, Gin was snoring lightly with his magazine folded on his chest, and Tsukune and Moka were staring out the window.

Tsukune glanced at Moka every now and then. She never stopped looking out the window. If it weren't for her eyes being open and gazing out the window, he could've sworn that she was asleep like half of the others. He wondered what she was thinking about, what was going through her head. Tsukune had traded the occasional glance for a full-on stare. Moka didn't seem to notice for the first few minutes. Then her eyes slowly shifted to the side, and widened slightly. She blushed. So did Tsukune, who looked away awkwardly.

"Tsukune?" Moka asked. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no!" Tsukune relied quickly. "I was just… I zoned out… waiting for Kokoa to get here and all…"

Moka nodded quickly. "Yeah, it is taking a while isn't it?"

Not even a half second after she said that, there was a loud knock on the door.

Kurumu opened her eyes halfway, groggily. Gin broke off mid snore, sitting up. His magazine fell to the floor. He looked around, blinking.

Tsukune got up and answered the door. He was greeted with a paper being shoved in his face.

"Here." Kokoa said. She looked just as tired as them.

"Thanks, Kokoa." Tsukune said, smiling.

She responded with a part tired, part bored yawn. She turned and walked away.

"Hey, Kokoa?" Tsukune asked after her.

Kokoa stopped and slumped her shoulders dramatically. Even though her back was turned towards him, Tsukune knew she just rolled her eyes.

"What?" she asked, not very politely.

"You look tired. How long were you up working on this?" Tsukune asked innocently.

Kokoa turned slightly.

"Well let's see…" she started, sweet sarcasm in her voice. "It's midnight now, and you asked me to write at about three or so…"

All mock sweetness left her voice. "Do the math, you idiot!" she snapped, and stomped off.

Tsukune frowned slightly. He was just trying to be a good friend. He sighed and shrugged, going back in the clubroom with the article.

"So, she finally did it." Gin said, grinning.

"Yeah, we can finally get done!" Tsukune replied.

"That's awesome!" Gin laughed. "Get to it then!"

Everyone glared at him, but got back to work anyways.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

[[[So sorry this took so long! I had a minor case of writer's block, but I'm good for now! Also, I'm extremely sorry it seemed so short! I'll do better next time! Peace!]]]


	7. Emergence

[[[First off, I'd like to give a huge thank-you to Catyz101 for being such an amazing friend in helping me not only relieve my writer's block, but in helping me through some tough times! You're the best!]]]

* * *

The sun rose slowly over the dead trees that surrounded Youkai Academy's campus. A large black bird cawed and officially signaled that the morning had come. The sun's rays peered through the windows of the Club Room, where Tsukune and the gang had finished the first-of-the-year edition of the newspaper a few hours before.

The room was filled with the sounds of mixed snores, from Tsukune's typical snoring to Gin's chainsaw roaring (again, he was asleep with his newest edition of "Howler" folded over his chest). As the first bell rung, everyone woke up with a startled jump.

Kurumu yawned and stretched, her breasts jiggling slightly.

"Today's the day isn't it? Today, we hand out our first issue!" She exclaimed happily.

Everyone murmured their assent, except Mizore, who crawled out from under the table, rubbing her head where it had collided with the desk from being startled by the bell.

Moka rubbed her eyes sleepily, and Tsukune groggily swept his hand through his hair, dark circles visible under his eyes.

"I just wish we could have gotten more sleep…" He groaned.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about another deadline for a while…" Moka replied to his rhetorical question.

Yukari yawned and stretched cutely, then adjusted her hat. "Ah, abiding by deadlines… I feel like a manga artist again!"

Tsukune groaned and rubbed his eyes with his wrists. That was one of Yukari's favorite jokes, but it reminded him of late last year when she and Kokoa tried writing and illustrating a slash fiction story. He was sure he still had scars on his brain from when they showed it to him.

"Fer the love of all that's good, Yukari, _please_ don't bring up that story from last year! I still have nightmares!" Gin groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes shut. He was scarred, too.

Yukari laughed brightly and Moka couldn't help but giggle a little bit.

"Moving on…" Gin started, deathly eager to change the topic. "… We should head out to our table. I'm geared an' ready to have this over with!"

Kurumu glared at him. "You didn't even help, you lazy bum!"

Gin shrugged and smirked. "Hey, this is a learning experience for _you_. Heaven knows you need the build in character."

Kurumu attempted to swat him with her fist but he ducked, laughing.

"See ya out there!" He shot cheekily, and dashed away, leaving a blur.

* * *

"Welcome back everyone! Grab the first-of-the-year edition of the Youkai Times!"

This was the plug-in line for Moka, Kurumu, and Mizore, who were handing out papers with Tsukune and Yukari to a horde of eager students. Gin was sitting back in his chair, smirking over his magazine, watching them. Over the years, the news club had become extremely popular.

_Damn, I missed it here…_ he thought happily, and resumed reading.

Tsukune, despite his lack of sleep, was smiling. He was all too happy with this familiar scenario. He always loved passing out the newspapers, so everyone got to see the combined efforts of him and his friends. Because of this paper, they had all grown so close.

Moka, as usual, watched Tsukune secretly from the corner of her eye. She loved it when he smiled; it made her smile, too. It also made her blush, and it made her heart beat fast…

She shook her head, blushing heavily. Thinking of him was too much for her. Him and his dark hair and his honey-brown eyes…

"Hey, Moka-san?" Tsukune asked, concerned.

Moka gave a startled 'yeep!' and turned to him. "Oh, hi Tsukune…"

Tsukune blushed as well, and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His eyes didn't meet hers.

"Are you um… Are you okay?" He asked, nervousness coating his voice.

Oh, how she loved his awkward shyness. It was so endearing to her. She smiled.

"I'm great Tsukune! I'm just so glad to be back at it again… handing out papers and all." She replied, then whispered to herself, "…With you…"

Tsukune looked confused. "Huh? What was that last part?"

Moka blushed. "Nothing, I didn't say anything else."

Tsukune blushed in response. "If… If you say so, Moka-san…"

Surprisingly, Ruby walked up and took a paper.

"Ruby? What are you doing here?" Tsukune asked, before realizing his mistake. _Ah, Hell…_

Ruby blushed and closed her eyes, smiling, her hand to her cheek. "Well, it's quite a long story, really…"

"No! Wait! Ruby!" Tsukune stopped her. She looked up, still blushing.

Tsukune sighed in relief. "I meant, aren't you busy with something else? Why come all the way to the other end of the school?"

Ruby smiled brightly, blushing more. "Oh, Tsukune… You're always so kind and considerate…Well, I was finishing some paperwork in the infirmary and watching over Katsutoshi-san, when he asked me if I would get him a school paper. He hadn't asked for much else lately, besides food, so I was happy to oblige."

"Katsutoshi-san…?" Tsukune thought for a minute, his sleep-deprived mind trying to recall the name's relevance. "Oh, you mean Kiba!"

He remembered now; Kiba was the boy they had found in the school's forested grounds nearly starved to death. They had taken him to the infirmary, where Ruby was taking care of him and observing his health and condition.

Ruby nodded, smiling. "Yes, him! He's doing much better now, thankfully. Though, there's something strange…"

She shook her head and smiled. "Well, I must be getting back to the infirmary! I'll see you later, everyone! Bye, Tsukune!"

Everyone waved and went back to handing out papers. It was good to hear Kiba was alright.

* * *

Kiba was not alright. He was slightly irritated. He was being kept in this freaking infirmary so that Ruby girl could 'observe his condition'. He already told her he felt better.

Well, it could be worse. Ruby was very nice and considerate. And she was pretty, too. If he were looking for a relationship, she might be his type. He didn't feel like talking much, though, so he didn't interact with her unless it was needed.

He was a nice guy, really. He just didn't show it. Ever since that time he now only refers to as 'The Incident', Kiba had kept to himself mostly. He had lost a lot, and didn't have much to start with. So to others he might seem socially misplaced, or even arrogant, but it was only to keep those around him safe… and to prevent him from losing control.

'Losing control'… that made it sound like he was insane. He wasn't, though. If everyone could just know what he was—without judging and fearing him—then they would understand what kind of pressure there is on his mind. There was always the voice, taunting him, beckoning him, goading him to run with the wind, and feast…

Kiba wondered what was taking Ruby so long. She was being nice enough to go get him a paper. He had heard people in the hallway getting excited about the 'Youkai Times', and he decided he wanted a copy. He really should thank her later. Well, she was walking in, so he could thank her now.

"I'm back, Katsutoshi-san!" She said, smiling.

Kiba nodded and attempted a small smile. "Please, call me Kiba."

She smiled more and handed him the paper. "Ok, then, Kiba."

He took it from her gently. "Um… Thank you."

He wasn't used to using those words. For what seemed like the longest time now, he hadn't had much to be thankful _for_. He was basically alone in the world. Back in America, he had moved in with his uncle, whose job required him to be gone most of the time. He didn't have his parents, or any friends.

Even before, he was pretty reclusive, and after 'The Incident', he would scarcely speak to anybody. He would hole up in his living quarters, and if he was forced to go to social situations, such as school, his gaze would always be towards the window.

He didn't want to think about it anymore. He decided to take his mind off of things by cracking open the newspaper Ruby had handed him.

_The News Club, Huh… Wait a minute… those names…_ Kiba's eyes widened. Tsukune Aono, Moka Akashiya, Kurumu Kurono, Yukari Sendo, Mizore Shirayuki… Those were the people who found him out in the woods, nearly starved.

He began reading. An inspirational story by Tsukune, 'Ask Moka', 'Kurumu's Cooking Corner', the horoscope by Yukari, and Mizore's Poetry section… Kiba had a soft spot for poetry (he wrote some himself, though it could get kind of dark sometimes), so he decided to read Mizore's.

His eyes widened and he blushed as he read. Mizore was an amazing poet! He loved her style! Sure it was about a guy that he was sure represented Tsukune (it was pretty obvious—dark hair, honey eyes? Who else?), but it was so good! It reminded him of some of the stuff he wrote.

So Mizore was pretty _and_ talented… he liked her more by the second.

She really was pretty though. She was flawless in Kiba's eyes. He didn't really try to flirt around too much, even though some girls had flirted with him before, because he just wasn't interested. Especially now, because he was sure that he would probably hurt the girl he would get into a relationship with.

It really sucked living in the human realm after 'the Incident', because… he felt the urge to _eat_ people. He was disgusted with himself, but he felt the need to devour people.

So a school for monsters was a blessing, in a way. There was still the temptation to feed, but it wasn't as bad as it was with humans around.

He would never hurt Mizore though. He especially didn't want to hurt her. She was so beautiful and pure, he could sense her kind heart, and, if the feeling in his gut was correct, a sort of kindred spirit.

She had such gorgeous blue eyes, like frozen shining sapphires, and lustrous lavender hair like fine royal silk… and her skin was as pale as snow…and she had such… a long, curved neck… that he could just kiss...yeah, that he could kiss…and then maybe...maybe he could...bite…and…tear…

"Everything okay over there, Kiba?" Ruby called from behind the curtain.

Kiba didn't answer. Kiba didn't hear her. The boy known as Kiba was being overshadowed by a force as old as the bones of the earth.

* * *

The first bell for lunch rang, and Tsukune and the others were laughing and smiling while they walked to lunch.

"As expected of us, another best-selling issue! Yahoo-hoo!" Kurmu exclaimed.

"Yeah, sure was! I'm just glad all of us are still sticking to it." Tsukune said, smiling.

As they headed to the cafeteria, they passed by the infirmary, and stopped. Something was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

He dashed inside the infirmary, while the others followed him, confused.

The infirmary was a mess. The curtain wall with its frame and the bedside desk was overturned, and papers were scattered everywhere. The window was broken, and an ominous breeze was coming in, making the drapes flow eerily. Ruby was near her desk, curled up and hugging her legs, her eyes wide.

She was scared to death.

Everyone ran up to her and huddled around her.

"Ruby!? What happened here?!" Tsukune asked frightened.

She mumbled incoherently, her wide eyes still glued directly in front of her, looking through them. She rocked back and forth slowly.

"E-Evil… S-such evil… that aura... s-so cold…so _hungry_…" She muttered. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Ruby? What are you talking about?" Tsukune asked and turned to where she was looking; Kiba's empty bed.

Kiba was gone.

"Where…?" Kurumu started, but she was cut off by a scream in the distance.

Tsukune got up swiftly, adrenaline forcing him into action.

"That sounded like it came from the outside eating area. Come on!" He said and ran off, the others trailing behind him.

"I don't get it! What's going on?" Yukari whined while struggling to catch up.

"Get this psycho offa me!" They heard a voice yell.

Yukari was now trembling. "Wha… s-such an evil presence… what could that possibly be?"

There was a scream of pain as they turned the corner. It belonged to Chopper Rikishi, and his assailant was the owner of the dark and cold aura.

It was Kiba.

He had Rikishi's arm pinned in a vice grip behind his back. Kiba wore a malicious partial smirk that revealed gleaming fangs. His hair was a little longer than usual, coming to the back of his neck. He glared at his victim through burning amber yellow eyes.

"P-Please… Please, I'm sorry… Let me go, please!" Rikishi sobbed.

Kiba ignored him and gave a fierce tug. There was a sickening snap and a scream of pain from Rikishi. Kiba had just broken Rikishi's arm and shoulder with no effort.

And he was laughing.

* * *

[[[Guys, I'm SO sorry this took this long. I've been going through a lot, with school and such, and recently I had a huge case of writer's block! I'll do my best to get to chapter 8 soon! Another round of praise to Catyz101 for the inspiration to write again! Peace!]]]


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